With the 94th Oscars taking place this past weekend and the winners announced, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about women in the film industry. Looking at this year’s list of nominated directors, there is one thing that stands out: only one nominee was a woman. Film director Jane Campion won the Academy Award for Best Director for her film The Power of the Dog. This is Campion’s first win in the best director category, and second nomination after her first for the film The Piano in 1993. She is the third woman to win an Oscar for Best Director, and the first to be nominated twice. This also marks the second year in a row that a woman has won Best Director. After nearly a century of film critique, and only three female wins for best director, it made me realize that there needs to be more dialogue discussing other influential female directors that deserve attention in the film industry.
Kathryn Bigelow – Bigelow is the first female director to win the Academy Award for Best Director for her film The Hurt Locker in 2010. Her success is a turning point in the industry, and by recognizing and celebrating her success it reminds women that there is a chance to receive a win in a male dominated category. Other films Bigelow has directed include Point Break, Blue Steel, Zero Dark Thirty, Detroit, and Near Dark.
Chloé Zhao – Just last year at the 93rd Oscars, Zhao became the second woman to win the Academy Award for both Best Picture and Best Director for her film Nomadland. . This also makes her the first female Asian director to win in both categories at the Oscars, as well as the first to win the Golden Globe for Best Director. Zhao’s other films include The Rider, Songs That My Brother Taught Me, and Eternals.
Greta Gerwig – Rising director Greta Gerwig has received critical acclaim in the last few years for her unique lens as a female director. Gerwig has been nominated for Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for her film Lady Bird in 2017, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay for her film Little Women in 2019. Her most notable films include Little Women (2019), Lady Bird, and Nights and Weekends.
Ava DuVernay – DuVernay is the first black female director to be nominated for both a Golden Globe for Best Director and an Academy Award for Best Picture for her film Selma in 2014. Her success as a director not only inspires the feminist community, but people of color as she is paving the way for black stories to recieve more recognition within the world of film critique. DuVernay’s other films include I Will Follow, 13th, and A Wrinkle in Time .
Sofia Coppola – Coppola won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was the third woman ever nominated for Best Director for her film Lost in Translation‘ in 2004. Coppola has the unique experience of being raised in the film industry, and while that may have given her an advantage, her understanding of film technique and storytelling is masterful. Coppola’s other films include Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring, Somewhere, The Virgin Suicides, and The Beguiled.
While this list only captures a snapshot of the influential women in the film industry, it is important to celebrate their achievements, especially during women’s history month. Women are already rarely given a voice in the industry, so it is amazing to see the work these women have done with a platform as large as film. These films are impactful, well told stories and the bonus of having female directors is that they get to be told through the feminine voice that is not featured enough in the media. I highly recommend watching all of the movies listed, if not just to expand your knowledge of film, than purely for entertainment since they are all great films.